Ten Worst Union-Protected Teachers Contest

In March 2008, the Center for Union Facts launched a summer-long, nation-wide contest to search for the Ten Worst Union-Protected Teachers in America. The contest asked anyone 13 and older to nominate the worst union-protected teachers in America. CUF received over 600 nominations and after identifying — and verifying — the ten worst, each “winner” was offered $10,000 to quit the profession forever.

Since none of the “winners” chose to accept the money and quit teaching, CUF did not reveal the names of any of the winning teachers, but did share some of the details surrounding the winners:

“Winner” pulled up, drunk, to the drive-thru window of a fast-food restaurant. After ordering, he became angry that he wasn’t getting his food fast enough, so he took out a gun and started waving it at restaurant employees. After his arrest, he pled no contest to all charges and was sent to jail. His students, meanwhile, were told he was caring for an ill family member. Once he was out of jail he was reinstated for several months before the media got wind of the story.

“Winner” had already been accused of fondling a teenage girl when three girls accused him of making lewd comments. Investigators found him guilty of “conduct unbecoming of a school board employee.” His punishment: write out the district's sexual harassment policies.

“Winner” had sex with two of her male teen students. She was warned by the school principal and colleagues to stop driving students home after school, and she also allegedly bought students alcohol. She now teaches second-graders.

The contest’s aim was to illustrate how difficult unions have made it to get rid of bad teachers. The contest received significant media coverage which can be viewed here.